1. Is "Friday Night Lights" coming back and what's the DirecTV connection? Yes, there will be a third season of the acclaimed NBC series about high school football that's not really about high school football. But there wouldn't be a series at all without DirecTV stepping up as a partner with NBC to offset some of the costs. There will be 13 instead of 22 episodes, and they will begin airing on DirecTV on Oct. 1. If you don't get DirecTV, then you'll have to wait until February, when NBC runs those 13 episodes. Essentially, DirecTV is acting like a premium channel - HBO, for example - hoping to get people to subscribe because of perks like this. One final thought: Airing on DirecTV will allow the run time of the show to be longer. So some scenes will be deleted when the shows finally air on NBC, though the story line won't be changed.

2. Is "Desperate Housewives" really jumping five years into the future? Yes. "Aging" a series is all the rage now. Look for Gabrielle (Eva Longoria Parker) to be, if not fat, then fuller. Also frumpier. In one scene, Edie (Nicollette Sheridan) says, "What the hell happened to you?" Gabby: "I had two children." Edie: "For what - breakfast?"

4. If I miss a show - or a couple of shows - what are my options, given that networks just don't seem to rerun episodes in order anymore? First, check the network Web site. Often, you can catch full episodes online (not ideal, but the quality is much improved). You could buy it from iTunes. You could see if it's on Hulu.com (owned by Fox and NBC). Or you could check Fancast.com, a site geared to telling you what your options are (from watching it there to finding when it will be rerun, etc.).

5. HBO or Showtime? There's no question that HBO ceded ground recently to Showtime, which has more acclaimed original series. But after a long drought, HBO is getting its act together. Going forward, it's a tougher call. Premium channels aren't cheap. If money isn't an issue, get both. If it is, watch more of FX and AMC.

6. Name one fall series you're hoping becomes a hit? "Worst Week," the single-camera sitcom on CBS.

7. Name two new shows you don't want to watch but have to (or not)? "Knight Rider" on NBC and "90210" on the CW.

12. How about a nonpolitical site that can help me figure out what shows are safe for my family to watch? Try www.commonsensemedia.org.

13. I like snarky shows like "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report." Any others I might like? Check out "The Soup" on E! and "Attack of the Show" on G4 (and yes, that's a channel).

14. What channels that most people get in their cable or satellite package need more love and attention from viewers? Sundance Channel, IFC, BBC America, Comedy Central, Cartoon Network (specifically when it morphs into Adult Swim at night), National Geographic.

15. What shows, in order, didn't live up to their hype in their second seasons? 1. "Heroes." 2. "Ugly Betty." 3. "Brothers & Sisters."

16. Which of those series has the best chance at a comeback this season? "Heroes."

17. As a wild guess, which new network fall series will be the most critically acclaimed and which one will be the biggest hit? Ah, if only the networks had sent out more of their shows in advance. I'd hedge and say there will be a number of good network shows, but none of the freshman series will be as acclaimed as their cable counterparts. As for ratings, the audience will decide - as it should be.